Device and method for the piece-wise or batch-wise refining of pieces of a substrate, in particular a textile substrate, under high pressure

Abstract

Device for the piece-wise or batch-wise refining of pieces of a substrate, in particular a textile substrate, under high pressure with a treatment medium, comprising: a substantially cylindrical pressure vessel ( 1 ), which is provided with a closable feed aperture ( 4 ) for placing the pieces of substrate in the pressure vessel ( 1 ); a pipe system ( 7 ) for feeding a treatment medium to and discharging it from the pressure vessel ( 1 ) under high pressure during treatment. The cylindrical pressure vessel is provided on at least one of the two end faces with an aperture that is closable by a lid ( 2, 3 ), which aperture forms the feed aperture ( 4 ). The device comprises retaining means for keeping the lid ( 2, 3 ) in place in a sealing manner during treatment, and the retaining means comprise a bounding frame ( 10 ) that is circumferentially closed, with two interconnected end pieces ( 11, 12 ) situated at a distance from each other, which end pieces in a closed position can be slid over the pressure vessel ( 1 ) and thereby retain the end faces of the pressure vessel ( 1 ) in the axial direction.

1 - 16 . (canceled)  
   
   
       17 . Device for the piece-wise or batch-wise refining of pieces of a substrate with a treatment medium under high pressure, comprising: 
 a substantially cylindrical pressure vessel, which is provided with a closable feed aperture for placing the pieces of substrate in said pressure vessel;    a pipe system for feeding the treatment medium to and discharging it from said pressure vessel under high pressure during treatment;    wherein 
 said cylindrical pressure vessel is provided on at least one of its two end faces with an aperture that can be closed by a lid, which aperture forms said feed aperture  
 said device comprises retaining means for keeping said lid in place in a sealing manner during treatment,  
 and said retaining means comprise a bounding frame that is circumferentially closed, with two interconnected end pieces situated at a distance from each other, which end pieces in a closed position can be slid over said pressure vessel and thereby retain said end faces of said pressure vessel in its axial direction.  
   
   
   
       18 . Device according to  claim 17 , in which said lid comprises a cylindrical wall part that in a position closing said feed aperture extends in said axial direction along an inner circumferential wall of said pressure vessel, 
 in which at least one sealing ring is provided between said cylindrical wall part and said inner circumferential wall of said pressure vessel, and    in which said sealing ring permits a slide of said lid in said axial direction relative to said inner circumferential wall of said pressure vessel.    
   
   
       19 . Device according to  claim 17 , in which said lid is provided with a holding part, for the purpose of removing said cylindrical wall part from said pressure vessel in said axial direction.  
   
   
       20 . Device according to  claim 17 , in which said bounding frame comprises two straight and two arch-shaped parts.  
   
   
       21 . Device according to  claim 20 , in which two substantially semi-cylindrical retaining pieces, which in said closed position lie between said arch-shaped parts of said bounding frame and said end faces of said pressure vessel, are provided.  
   
   
       22 . Device according to  claim 17 , in which said pipe system opens into said lid.  
   
   
       23 . Device according to  claim 22 , in which a slotted opening is provided in said bounding frame, for the accommodation in a sliding manner in said opening of a part of said pipe system opening into said lid.  
   
   
       24 . Device according to  claim 17 , in which said two end faces of the pressure vessel are provided with feed apertures that are closable by lids.  
   
   
       25 . Device according to  claim 17 , in which said bounding frame is made of composite material, in particular of fibre-reinforced material.  
   
   
       26 . Device according to  claim 25 , in which said bounding frame is made of wound fibre-reinforced material, in particular of wound glassfibre-reinforced plastic.  
   
   
       27 . Device according to  claim 17 , in which the pipe system connects to feed means for feeding in supercritical or near critical fluid.  
   
   
       28 . Device for the piece-wise or batch-wise refining of pieces of textile substrate, according to  claim 17 .  
   
   
       29 . Method for the piece-wise or batch-wise refining of pieces of a substrate with a treatment medium under high pressure with a device according to  claim 17 , comprising the following steps: 
 placing one or more pieces of said substrate in said pressure vessel;    closing said feed aperture by putting on said lid;    sliding said pressure vessel and said bounding frame into each other;    feeding said treatment medium to said pressure vessel at high pressure for a desired cycle time;    after completion of said cycle time sliding said pressure vessel and the bounding frame out of each other and opening said lid; and    removing said refined substrate from said pressure vessel.    
   
   
       30 . Method for the piece-wise or batch-wise refining of pieces of a textile substrate according to  claim 29 , comprising the step: 
 placing one or more pieces of said textile substrate in said pressure vessel.    
   
   
       31 . Method according to  claim 29 , in which said treatment medium comprises CO 2 , N 2 O, lower alkanes such as ethane and propane and mixtures thereof, in particular in a near critical or supercritical state.  
   
   
       32 . Use of a device according to  claim 17 , for the piece-wise or batch-wise refining of pieces of textile substrate.